The subject matter herein relates generally to electrical connector assemblies.
Some electrical systems utilize electrical connectors, such as header assemblies and receptacle assemblies, to interconnect two circuit boards, such as a motherboard and daughtercard. Some known electrical connectors include a front housing holding a plurality of contact modules arranged in a contact module stack. The electrical connectors provide electrical shielding for the signal conductors of the contact modules. For example, ground shields may be provided on one or both sides of each contact module. However, at high speeds, the electrical shielding of known electrical connectors may be insufficient. For example, while the ground shield(s) may provide shielding along the sides of the signal conductors, known electrical connectors do not provide sufficient additional electrical shielding above and/or below the signal conductors throughout the length of the contact modules.
Some known electrical connector assemblies have been designed that provide significant electrical shielding in the form of right and left shield members coupled to right and left sides of the dielectric holders of the contact modules along the lengths of the signal contacts. However, much of the dielectric material of the dielectric holders surrounding the signal contacts in such electrical connector assemblies is removed to provide space to locate the shield members, reducing the mechanical stability of the contact modules. Assembly of the contact modules to the circuit board may damage the contact modules, such as by buckling the contact modules under the pressing forces applied to seat the electrical connector assembly on the circuit board. For example, conventional electrical connector assemblies are seated using a seating tool that presses downward against the tops of the contact modules to press-fit the compliant pins of the signals and the ground shields into vias in the circuit board.
A need remains for a robust electrical connector assembly that can withstand seating forces when seating the electrical connector assembly on the circuit board.